Halloween has often taken a real pasting for being a holiday that celebrates greed, Satanism, and the wholesale rotting of children's teeth. I think we have lost sight of Halloween as the valuable experience it can be. In a town whose annual Halloween tradition begins with the Great Pumpkin Spectacle, we have no excuse for that: I say, bring back great Halloweens! ...more

The Concord Carlisle Community Swim and Fitness
Center is well on its way to becoming the premier hangout in town. The
Concord Recreation Department is working very hard to have a variety
of programs ready to roll upon its opening, currently scheduled for
February. The center has four pools, a 25-yard by 25-meter lap pool,
a 14-foot deep diving pool, a warm ...more

A town that is growing older could see 150 to
200 fewer students at the Carlisle School five to ten years from now.
But if the town's new affordable housing plan is put into play, and more
existing homes turn over to younger buyers, the school could stay within
5% of its present 815 students over the next decade. ...more

In 2000, after two rounds of the Massachusetts
Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS exams, over 80% of teachers in
the Concord schools and at Concord-Carlisle High School signed a petition
opposing the controversial tests, which tenth graders must pass in order
to receive high school diplomas. ...more

Last week Carlisle received a check from the
Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) for $270,723, matching dollar-for-dollar
money raised locally during FY05 under the Community Preservation Act
(CPA) real-estate tax surcharge. The prospect of matching funds was an
attraction for many when Carlisle voters adopted the 2% surcharge in 2001.
To date we have ...more